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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26893813">save me from myself</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mannelig/pseuds/mannelig'>mannelig</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Timeline [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Au Ra Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), F/M, Fix-It, Len's a mess, major hw spoilers, not really - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:08:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26893813</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mannelig/pseuds/mannelig</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something terrible happens, and Len handles it the best she can.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haurchefant Greystone/Warrior of Light</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Timeline [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187657</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>save me from myself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In another world, Len holds Haurchefant in her arms as he dies. In this one, her heart stops as he dives in front of Maddox and Rev. She stands still, useless, as Ceri and Kam jump forward, hands glowing with healing magic.</p><p> </p><p>Len doesn't move.</p><p> </p><p>It takes her far too long to turn and shoot a fireball at the attacker, and by then the bastard is already jumping onto the airship. Fury curdles in her chest and she changes tack, firing at the sails even after the ship is out of reach.</p><p> </p><p>It takes Maddox putting a hand on her shoulder to get her to stop. He's bloody and - to her, at least - clearly shaken, and Len abruptly realizes she is too, tears streaming down her face. Her throat is raw.</p><p> </p><p>"Help us get him home," Maddox says, even though he and Rev could manage by themselves.</p><p> </p><p>She knows she's being handled, but she nods anyway.</p><p> </p><p>When they approach, Len can't bear to look, focuses on Aymeric's bent form instead. Then she forces herself to look down. Haurchefant is still flush with magic, Ceri and Kam hard at work. Len's eyes skip over the wound itself, unable to comprehend it, and settle on his face. He's on the edge of consciousness, but he still smiles. Len's heart thunders in her ears.</p><p> </p><p>Haurchefant raises a hand, and Rev shifts aside so she can kneel and take it. "Come now," he says, stretching his arm up to brush her cheek with his knuckles, "this is hardly the worst you've seen of me."</p><p> </p><p>Despite herself, Len snorts. "I think this is worse than giving yourself a concussion on a bathtub," she says, voice cracking.</p><p> </p><p>"Ah, but that was clumsiness. This was worth doing." He smiles at Rev, then up at Maddox, then back at Len. None of them can meet his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"I hate you," Len says, utterly without heat, fresh tears threatening to fall. She twines their fingers together. "You better not die and waste Ceri's hard work."</p><p> </p><p>"Wouldn't dream of it, my dear," he says softly, eyelids drooping. His hand goes limp in her grasp, and Len looks at Ceri in a panic.</p><p> </p><p>But Ceri shakes her head. "He's fine," she says gently. "We're not quite done, but he's out of danger, and we should get him home."</p><p> </p><p>Len lets go of his hand, and stands as Rev and Maddox carefully lift Haurchefant off the ground. She dries her tears and says, firmly, "I'll go first. If anyone tries to get in our way, I'll fucking fireball them in the face."</p><p> </p><p>For once, no one argues.</p><p> </p><p>The journey back to the manor seems to last a thousand years, and what feels like millions of eyes follow their progress, but no one stops them. Eventually Estinien and Aymeric and the others peel off from the group. When the rest of them safely arrive, Haurchefant is delivered to his room, Ceri and Kam in tow, and Len sinks down onto a chair in the parlor.</p><p> </p><p>"What happened?" Count Edmont asks her, and she relays the story on autopilot. She doesn't hear what he says to her when she finishes, and barely feels him pat her shoulder. She almost stays in that chair all night, but Alphinaud and Tataru bully her upstairs into bed. Later, Ceri joins her, and they lay in silence, staring up at the ceiling together until dawn light begins to trickle in.</p><p>
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  <br/>
</p><p>When Len wakes, it's lunch time, and Ceri is nowhere to be seen. She trudges downstairs to a meal she only picks at. Maddox, Rev, and Alphinaud are at the middle of the table, talking in low voices about their next steps. Tataru is fussing over a sleepy looking Kam at one end. The uninjured Fortemps men are gathered at the other end of the table, quiet but with an air of relief over them.</p><p> </p><p>Someone clears their throat, and Len turns tiredly to look at the servant behind her.</p><p> </p><p>"Lord Haurchefant would like to see you, Mistress Uluros. Shall I bring up your lunch?"</p><p> </p><p>Len's heart jumps into her throat. "Sure," she croaks, and follows them upstairs.</p><p> </p><p>She's not unfamiliar with Haurchefant's room, but it looks strange and cold when she arrives. But then, that could be because she only has eyes for the elezen on the bed.</p><p> </p><p>Forgetting the servant, Len rushes over. "How do you feel?" she blurts, tears welling up again. "Do - I can get a healer -?"</p><p> </p><p>Haurchefant chuckles, then lifts the covers invitingly. Len doesn't hesitate to climb in, careful not to jostle him, and as she curls into his shoulder he says to the servant, "That will be all, thank you."</p><p> </p><p>"My Lord."</p><p> </p><p>Len adjusts her head, trying not to poke him with her horns, and settles a hand over his heart. It thumps comfortingly under her touch, and she peeks up at him. "Hi."</p><p> </p><p>Haurchefant kisses her forehead. "Hi," he says, a teasing lilt to his voice. "We simply must stop meeting like this. People will talk."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, I agree," Len says, reaching up to gently pinch his cheek. "No more near death experiences, please." An errant tear drips down her face.</p><p> </p><p>He laughs softly, lifts a hand to cover hers. His calluses brush her knuckles, and another tear slips free. "I'm sorry," she says.</p><p> </p><p>"For what?"</p><p> </p><p>"I didn't - <em> do </em> anything."</p><p> </p><p>His hand shifts and chucks her chin. "You screamed obscenities I've never heard while trying to take down an airship by yourself," he says, dry but not unkind. "I think that's something."</p><p> </p><p>Len doesn't reply, only pulls his fingers to her mouth to kiss their tips.</p><p> </p><p>Then she blurts, "Thank you for saving them. I could- I could marry you for that."</p><p> </p><p>"Don't get me excited," Haurchefant teases, and she blushes. "But I couldn't bear the thought of any of you getting hurt." He steals a kiss, a gentle brush of lips. "And besides, I know how much you love him."</p><p> </p><p>Heart thundering, Len pulls back to stare at him. "You knew?"</p><p> </p><p>"I knew."</p><p> </p><p>"Here I thought I'd been subtle."</p><p> </p><p>"Not one of your many talents, I'm afraid."</p><p> </p><p>"And you still-?"</p><p> </p><p>Haurchefant smiles. "Yes." He moves a strand of hair out of her gobsmacked face. "I love you, and if you said yes, I would marry you tomorrow morning. But I am not unaware of your feelings, and I support them. I want you to be happy."</p><p> </p><p>Len swallows hard.</p><p> </p><p>She desperately needs to talk to Ceri.</p><p> </p><p>"Damnit," she says, anxious to change the subject, "this is supposed to be about you. How are you? Does it still hurt?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm fine," Haurchefant promises. "And no. I'm just a little weak still. It'll be a few days before I'm back on my feet."</p><p> </p><p>Len settles her head back down and lays an arm across his chest. He gently holds onto her elbow with one hand, the other curling around her back. "Well, I'm glad you're okay," she says, voice small. She thinks about a world without him and shudders.</p><p> </p><p>"Me too," he admits, pressing his cheek to her hair, and they slowly drift off together, exhaustion creeping up on them.</p><p>
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</p><p>In another world, Len holds Haurchefant as he dies.</p><p> </p><p>She'd run out when she saw him go down protecting Rev and Maddox. She'd held his head in her lap. Healing magic wasn't enough. She's covered in his blood, and Ceri is trying to get her to let go.</p><p> </p><p>"He asked me to marry him," she blurts, and everyone around her seems to flinch. "I can't just leave him."</p><p> </p><p>"You're not, love," Ceri promises. "We're going to take him home."</p><p> </p><p>Len looks down at Haurchefant, then carefully eases him to the ground and stands, feeling oddly heavy. She drags her eyes from his corpse to Maddox, and realizes in a heartbeat it could be him laying there. If that shield had been just a little thinner, the angle just a little different, it would have been both of them. She turns, walks to the door, and crumples in on herself.</p><p> </p><p>Great hiccuping sobs burst out of her, and she chokes on her own panic. Someone scoops her up effortlessly, and she screams into cold armor. Thumps her hand weakly on a metal covered chest.</p><p> </p><p>"C'mon, firebrand," she hears Maddox say, distantly.</p><p> </p><p>She clings to him, squeezing her eyes shut, and tries not to think about him dead.</p>
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